Another week comes to an end, and before we all retire to the pub to bathe in beer's gentle glow, here are the tracks that have excited us most greatly since the last time we made such a selection.
Graveyard BBQ - Going For The Gusto All aboard the satanic express! Here’s a slice of full-throttle rock’n’roll with plenty of impressive swearing. This fearsome foursome are from Massachusetts, and go by the names Brownbag Johnson, Howlin’ Jack Boone, Bud Black and Whitey Trasher.
Sammy Hagar - Dreams Sammy warms up for his job hosting the 2014 Classic Rock Roll of Honour by releasing an acoustic version of the Van Halen classic Dreams. Political trivia: the song was played after John Kerry’s acceptance speech at the Democratic Party Convention in 2004, which is a bit like the Classic Rock Awards show, but with less Jack Daniels.
Foo Fighters feat. Ann & Nancy Wilson - Kick It Out The Foos have been in residence on the Letterman show this week, playing with the likes of swamp rocking soul man Tony Joe White and Zac Brown (on a suitably sinister version of Black Sabbath’s Black Sabbath). But it’s this rather meaty take on the Heart classic Kick It Out that had us throwing our hands in the the air like we literally just don’t care. Because we heart Heart.
Jimmy Barnes feat. Neal Schon & Jonathan Cain - Going Down Alone The musical connections between Scotland and Australia run deep. The song Waltzing Matilda, for instance, was written to the tune of the traditional Scottish song Thou Bonnie Wood Of Craigielea, which means that the unofficial Aussie national anthem is a least part Scottish. Then there’s Bon Scott, of course. And Jimmy Barnes, who teams up here with a couple of Journey stalwarts to run through his own Going Down Alone.
Royal Blood - Ten Tonne Skeleton Love ‘em or hate ‘em, there’s no denying that Royal Blood have had a fantastic year, going from south coast insignificance to globe-straddling stardom in a few short months with their glorious mix of drums and bass. Anyone who saw them rip Download a new one won’t forget it in a hurry.
Estrella - Here I Am “The sound is primarily 70/80s infused rock – think Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Def Leppard and Van Halen”, say Estrella, about themselves. “Awash with melody and riffs, thunderous beats and anthemic choruses – all the ingredients of a dynamic fresh new rock sound for today.” So there you go.
Aeges - Fault If you like your rock like we like a steak - thick, juicy, slightly raw and with a little sprig of parsley on top - give this LA four-piece a nibble. They’ve pummelled audiences on tour with Coheed And Cambria and Big Business but have more of QOTSA/Dearly Beloved catchiness about ‘em. And if you like this, you can get a whole stream of new album Above & Below right here.
Le Butcherettes - Demon Stuck In Your Eye So there was this band called At The Drive-In. Then they became The Mars Volta. Then they split and Omar the guitarist found a motley gang to form the strangely ace Bosnian Rainbows. Is there a point to this potted history of El Paso alt-rock? Yes! Cos Rainbows singer Teri Gender Bender has her own groovy little combo, and this is a jaunty sample of what they do. In a desert-rocking, Yeah Yeah Yeahs-shaped, garage-punk way.
